Posts Tagged ‘Seneca Lake Wine Trail’

This year, the Deck the Halls Weekend event is finally old enough to buy a bottle of Merlot. That’s right, 2012 marks the 21st annual Deck the Halls Weekend! Two days of food, fun, wine (of course!) and shopping, all with the holiday season in mind.The second weekend of Deck the Halls takes place from Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2012.

Each participant is assigned a ‘starting winery,’ where you receive a grapevine wreath and a recipe book. As you travel from winery to winery along the lovely Seneca Lake wine trail, you will collect an ornament from each winery you visit with which to decorate your wreath.

Sample wine and food tastings while the wineries are fully decorated for the holiday season. Participating wineries look forward to Deck the Halls as a weekend of fun during the quiet winter months.

Everyone receives a food and wine pairing at each participating winery. With the recipe book, you can repeat the wine and food combinations you tried at the Finger Lakes wineries in your own home, introducing your friends and family to the pairings you enjoyed the most!

Tickets range in price from $38 for a single designated driver ticket (no tastings) to $70 for a couple’s ticket.

Sponsor: The Christmas House, Elmira NY

Our co-sponsor for both Deck the Halls Weekend events (for the fifth consecutive year) is Elmira’s very own Christmas House! The Christmas House, located about 40 minutes from the southern tip of Seneca Lake, is a truly unique destination unto itself for the avid holiday shopper or Christmas decor aficionado. Located in a beautifully restored 1894 home, The Christmas House carries an enormous variety of holiday-themed products, including Annalee Mobilitee Dolls, Jillian’s Clay Collectibles, Vaillancourt folk art and dozens of other brands and items.

Are you attending one of the Deck the Halls weekend events?

If so, are you still looking for luxury upstate New York lodging? We would love to host you at our Ithaca-area bed and breakfast, located 20 minutes from the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.

Our elegant Upstate New York accommodations are perfect for a romantic getaway in the Finger Lakes.

Couples love our five gorgeous guest rooms. Private baths with walk-in showers, spa tubs for two, gas fireplaces, plush robes and pillow top king or queen beds are just some of the luxuries you can expect during your stay. Free Wi-Fi and flat screen TVs with cable and DVD players are a given. And so is our hospitality which will make you feel welcome and cared for while respecting your privacy.

The Cayuga Wine Trail is minutes from the inn. Seneca Lake Wine Trail is a scenic 20-minute drive away, becoming all the more beautiful as fall approaches. The natural beauty of the Finger Lakes region will stir your heart with its waterfalls and pristine lakes. Stroll in autumnal forests, dine in fine local restaurants and take in a show at one of the many local theaters.

We have just the right packages to add a special romantic touch. Fresh flowers, a delicious local wine, sumptuous desserts and romantic games set the mood. In-room massages are also available as well as refreshing spa treatments at Day Spas. Let us know and we’ll be happy to make arrangements for you. See our Specials & Packages page to see more ways to sweeten your stay.

Here’s what some of our guests have had to say about their romantic anniversaries, honeymoons and getaways at our Finger Lakes Wine country inn:

My husband and I recently stayed at this fabulous B and B, for a 29th anniversary celebration! What a fabulous spot!! We loved our room, Serenity, and the entire property was above expectations! The house is so beautiful, with a wonderful dining room set for a fantastic breakfast! Very relaxing and special! The outdoor area, with Adirondack rockers set next to a pretty waterfall feature within a garden, was a great place to enjoy a glass of Red before dinner! …The bed was extremely comfortable, and the pillows and linens are super!! I would highly recommend this property to anyone looking for a bit of “special” in the midst of the everyday!!

~ TripAdvisor.com Reviewer from Cortland, NY

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My husband and I stayed here for our first year anniversary and it was amazing. The place looks exactly like the pictures on the website. We had breakfast delivered to our room and that was also incredible. The food was very good, Orange Cream French Toast, with fruit parfait beforehand. Excellent. Couldn’t have asked for more…

Spring on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail means wine tasting and special events. It’s a wonderful time to take a few days off from routine life and indulge in one of life’s great pleasures, wine. A stay at our Finger Lakes Bed and Breakfast completes the experience.

A number of special events are on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail calendar this spring. Individual wineries have events such as the ongoing Fish and Brew Fridays at Glenora Wine Cellars, and the Spring Winemaker’s Dinner on April 21 at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellar. The following events occur at all Seneca Lake Wineries.

This spring, spend a few days wine tasting along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.

Cruisin the Tropics Weekend. We’ve had some wonderfully warm weather the past few days, with temperatures reaching 80 degrees. This is a perfect introduction to the Seneca Lake Wine Trail’s upcoming Cruisin the Tropics Weekend, March 23-25. While it’s unlikely the unseasonably warm weather will linger through the weekend, we can still enjoy this event, which pairs tropically themed dishes with award-winning Finger Lakes wines. More than 30 wineries around Seneca Lake will participate in this “fun in the tropics” weekend.

Riesling to Visit Passport. The wineries of Seneca Lake invite you to discover their Rieslings using their Riesling to Visit Passport, valid April 1 through July 31, 2012. The Finger Lakes Region of New York produces some of the finest Rieslings in the world, and no two are exactly alike. Use the Riesling to Visit Passport to enjoy a free flight of wines at each of the participating wineries.

Spring Wine and Cheese Weekend. A glass of wine is one of life’s finest pleasures. A glass of wine paired with cheese is cause for jubilation. When well paired, wine and cheese bring out the best in each other. Like a good marriage, they are better together than they are on their own. The Spring Wine and Cheese Weekend of April 27-29 invites participants to visit more than 30 wineries and sample new releases and old favorites, all paired with cheese. Some wineries will even pour samples from the barrel.

Smokin’ Summer Kickoff. Spring transitions into summer with the Smokin’ Summer Kickoff of June 8-10. Seneca Lake Wineries will have the grills going, and they’ll be showing off some delicious combinations of grilled food and wines. Who says barbecues are all about beer?

Most Seneca Lake Wine Trail Events are self-guided; you can visit as many wineries as you like over the course of the event. Special events aside, most wineries are open daily for visitation and wine tasting. The longer you stay at our Finger Lakes Bed and Breakfast, the more Seneca Lake Wineries you can visit.

Consider getting together a group of wine-loving friends and renting Clarke’s Cottage, our Finger Lakes Vacation Home. Up to 10 people can stay comfortably in Clarke’s Cottage–enough for there to be a different designated driver for each day of the week.

Spring Break is on the horizon, and all across the country, people are making travel plans. You could travel to Mexico or Colorado or France, but such trips require flying, and we all know what airlines do to plane fares at this time of year. We have a better idea. We suggest a trip to our Finger Lakes Bed and Breakfast.

Spring should come early to the Finger Lakes Region this year, since we’ve seen very little winter weather. Conditions should be ideal for outdoor recreation such as hiking, horseback riding, and golfing. On fair days, guests may even enjoy boating on the Finger Lakes; most scenic cruises start in early to mid April, but paddling along the shore is fun any time of year. If it snows, bring snowshoes and skis!

The 150+ waterfalls scattered throughout the Finger Lakes Region are amazing winter, spring, summer, and fall. Some are still encrusted in ice at this time of year, while others maintain a steady roar. There are generally fewer people hiking to waterfalls in the spring, which makes it an ideal time for our guests to explore them. Two of our favorites are nearby Taughannock Falls and the magical, mystical Watkins Glen Falls.

Explore the Finger Lakes Wine Country during Spring Break.

Wine tasting is another favorite activity around the Finger Lakes, and it is well-suited for cold or rainy days. Both the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail and the Seneca Lake Wine Trail are home to more than a dozen wineries, many of which are quite close to our Finger Lakes Bed and Breakfast. A bit farther west, the Keuka Lake Wine Trail features eight wineries. Sip and spit, designate a driver, or consider a wine tour that will safely shuttle you from one winery to the next. One of the perks of wine tasting is that it allows you to try many wines, so that you know you like the bottles you purchase.

There are times to stay home for the holidays, there are times to stay with family, and there are times to try something new. If you feel like you need something different this holiday season, consider spending a few days at our Finger Lakes Bed and Breakfast near Ithaca, New York.

Enjoy a cozy Christmas at our Finger Lakes Bed and Breakfast.

Couples spending their first Christmas or New Year together may want to forego familial obligations and busy parties with dozens of friends. If all you want to do is gaze into each others’ eyes, cuddle by the fire, and enjoy lazy mornings, there is no place better for you than Halsey House.

Empty nesters may also find it refreshing to spend the holidays away from home. If your twenty somethings are busy exploring the world and unable to come home next week, hop in the car and head to our Finger Lakes Bed and Breakfast. Rediscover each other. In future years, your holidays will undoubtedly be filled with grandchildren; this year, make the season all about you.

There is much to do in the Finger Lakes Region, if you can pull yourself away from the warmth of Halsey House.

Nearby Cayuga Lake.

Wine tasting is one of our favorite activities, especially during holidays. What better way to find gifts than to hand pick wines for the oenophiles in your life? The Finger Lakes Region is lauded as one of the best producers of Rieslings in the country; indeed, the Rieslings produced here rival some of the finest Rieslings in the world. This is particularly noteworthy at this time of year, as Rieslings are perfect for holiday toasts.

Several local wineries are hosting special events in the coming weeks. Red Newt Cellars invites Wine Lovers to attend Winelovers’ Night at their Bistro on Thursday, December 22, 2011. Try new wines or your old favorite wines; Red Newt Cellars offers an extensive list of wines by the glass, their own and others. Glenora Wine Cellars and Veraisons Restaurant are offering dinner and dancing on New Year’s Eve. Dozens of other wineries are open daily for wine tasting and tours throughout the holiday season.

Join us at Halsey House, a Finger Lakes Bed and Breakfast, this holiday season. Try something new and different. You may find yourself wanting to come here year after year.

The Finger Lakes area in New York state is a world-class wine producing region, attracting many visitors who wish to go wine tasting along the Cayuga, Keuka and Seneca Lake Wine Trails.

A convenient and safe way to do this is by arranging a wine tour with a local transportation company so that you can enjoy a worry-free experience without the need for a designated driver. An added bonus is having your own tour guide along, with a driver who is capable of tailoring your tour to fit your preferences and desires.

Halsey House’s close proximity to these wine trails brings us many customers eager to experience wine tasting in the relaxed and friendly atmosphere the Finger Lakes wineries are known for. We recommend a few local transportation companies that always treat our customers with great service and knowledgeable winery and restaurant suggestions. Two are Guilt Free Touring and Quality Wine Tours. Whether you are looking for an intimate tour for two or you bring friends along to share the fun and the costs, these companies always delight our guests. Pricing begins at around $250 for car and driver for a party of two.

Experience! The Finger Lakes touring van

Another exciting option is to join a tour designed to show you just what is so special in this magical place of ours. Experience! The Finger Lakes offers daily guided tours for up to twelve people. This tour company isn’t just about wine tasting. Mitch and I recently had the opportunity to accompany our fellow innkeepers on the Wine, Cheese & “Moo” tour. We had the pleasure of visiting Keely’s Cheese Co. and Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery, local artisan cheese-makers, and learned about the cheese-making process while sampling their cheese. Then we moved on to King Ferry and Long Point wineries where we had the chance to pair the cheese with local wines. This was a wonderful chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at great local businesses.

Experience! also offers an amazing collection of tours including Culinary & Wine, History of the Area, Gorges and Waterfalls, Hiking or custom tours personalized for you. We highly recommend that you add one of their tours to your itinerary while you are visiting the Finger Lakes.

Travel. Vacations. You come, you play, you eat, you sleep. You experience what is not at home. And food can be a large part of that experience. Do you know that favorite foods differ in regions within the same state? New York gives us pastrami sandwiches, Chinatown and Little Italy in “the city”, while clear across the state, Buffalo is home to the infamous chicken wings, giros, superb pizza and beef on ‘weck.

tender grilled beef and garden-fresh vegetables

And, located in the middle of upstate New York, you will find the Finger Lakes. An area known for it’s stunning topography, fashioned from glaciers that left behind glittering long, deep lakes, gorges, waterfalls, and plenty of fertile farmland. Throw in to this mix the culture of a small city that has two reknowned colleges, Cornell University and Ithaca College, and you have progressive thinking that brings us the best in agriculture. We’re talking organic foods, luscious grapes on the vines turned into award-winning local wines, meat and poultry that is free-range and free of growth hormones. All locally grown, fresh and healthy.

beautiful vegetarian baked eggplant dish

The locavore movement is alive and thriving in the Finger Lakes. Restaurants such as Simply Red Bistro, Hazelnut Kitchen, Suzanne Fine Regional Cuisine and Ithaca’s very own Moosewood Restaurant feature menus created with local, organic, seasonal ingredients. World-class chefs are bringing their talents and families to upstate NY, not only for the quality of life but also to merge their passion for creating delicious dishes with the farm-to-table opportunity these communities provide.

Chef Samantha preparing dinner in Atwater vineyard

Perhaps the best way to experience the natural beauty of our area in combination with the bounty of the field is through Vine Dining. At Atwater Estate Vineyards along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, a table is set in the vineyard overlooking Seneca Lake, and Chef Samantha Buyskes of Simply Red Bistro will prepare the dinner table-side for 24 people. This popular event is being offered on three dates; Sunday, July 31st, Friday, August 26th & Friday, September 23rd, 2011. Book your place at the table and your room at Halsey House and make a memory you’ll long to repeat for years to come.

Spring time gives us plenty of good reasons to getaway for a weekend and attend an event at either Cayuga Wine Trail’s Wine & Herb Festival or Seneca Lake Wine Trail’s Spring Wine & Cheese Weekend. The waterfalls are flowing and the trees are beginning to bud. The landscape is coming alive after a long winter. Enjoy a leisurely drive up the lakes as you take in the beautiful scenery between vineyards. With the variety of wines available and numerous wineries to choose from, discovering your favorite wine is like going on a treasure hunt. Bring friends along and share the fun or make some new friends along the wine trail.

Seneca Lake Wine Trail’s Spring Wine & Cheese Weekend is being held from Friday, April 29th, at 1:00pm – Sunday, May 1st, 5:00pm. This popular event, sponsored by Cabot Cheese and Macadam Cheese, pairs Finger Lakes wines with a taste of delightful treats prepared using a variety of cheese. This is your chance to visit over 30 wineries and take home a recipe book featuring those tasty treats. Visit the Seneca Lake Wine Trail website for ticket information.

Reisling, the star of the Finger Lakes wine

It’s time for the Cayuga Wine Trail’s 19th Annual Wine & Herb Festival, running two weekends; April 29th-May 1st and again on May 6th -8th. What a great way to kick-start your gardens and restock your wine cellars. Participants will sample wines along with herb-infused cuisine at 16 wineries and take home an herb or veggie plant from each winery along with recipes and a plant carrier. Save money by purchasing your tickets in advance at the Cayuga Wine Trail website or any Wegman’s store.

Spring has come to Upstate NY and the Finger Lakes wine trails are grooming their vineyards for another great year. To set this season off, the Cayuga Wine Trail is offering their 18th Annual Wine & Herb Festival on the weekends of April 23rd – 25th and April 30th – May 2nd, 2010. Sample herb prepared foods along side fine wines, and take home wine glasses, recipes and herbs or vegetable plants from each winery.

The Seneca Lake Wine Trail’s Spring Wine & Cheese Weekend is also on April 23rd-25th, 2010. This self-guided tour pairs the flavors of local cheese makers with wonderful Finger Lakes wines. You will take home a gift item and recipe book, along with beautiful memories of the scenery along Seneca Lake. Tickets are available at the door at certain wineries. Click here for more information.

Check out the Halsey House B&B availablity calendar for your getaway weekend. Come stay in ultimate comfort, taste great wines and take home herbs and vegetables for your garden or recipes for your kitchen.

Halsey House has a list of recommended local limousine and touring companies to offer you tours tailored to fit your needs. Go wine tasting on the Cayuga Wine Trail, Seneca Lake Wine Trail and the Keuka Lake Wine Trail with your own personal designated driver. Bring friends along on a wine tasting weekend and share the costs as well as the fun. Prices are based on number of participants and duration.